Confrontation

A Competition

Hermione and her fellow classmates sat in seventh-year Potions class, wondering where Professor Snape was. Normally, he would be seated at his desk glaring at them as they entered. This wasn’t like the wizard.

“Maybe he’s sick,” Neville whispered.

Yes, Neville Longbottom managed to make it into Snape’s advanced Potions class with a lot of hard work, determination and tutoring by Hermione Granger. This was another grievance the Potions Master held against the witch. Neville should have been out of his class years ago.

“He’s too snarky to get sick,” Harry hissed, falling silent as the door was flung open and Professor Snape strode in, slamming the door behind him and stopping at his desk, whirling so his robes billowed about him. His black eyes swept over the class.

“Put your books away. Mr. Potter, Mr. Longbottom, go collect cauldrons and pass them out to each student. We are having a competition,” he said silkily.

Hermione perked up. A competition? She loved competing, since she usually won.

“There will even be a prize, which will be announced to the winner at the end of class. A number of points will also be given…so those of you with less than stellar grades…”

Here Snape’s eyes fell on Neville meaningfully.

“Would do well to do your very best work. It could make the difference between passing….and failing this class. Particularly you, Mr. Longbottom,” the wizard said with a sneer.

Neville turned bright red at being singled out by the Potions Master, but the blush faded quickly. He was used to Snape’s needling.

“Now,” Snape said in a business-like manner, “You will be brewing Forgetfulness Potions…”

Snape looked at Harry.

“Mr. Potter, there is a cart in the other room with a number of ingredients on it. Go and get it,” he ordered.

Harry stood up and did as the wizard asked, wheeling the cart in and stopping next to Snape’s desk. Harry returned to his seat as Hermione studied the ingredients.

“There are more ingredients than necessary,” she thought to herself, “Some don’t even belong in the potion.”

Snape looked at Hermione, knowing she knew that there were extra ingredients on the cart. He smirked then addressed the class.

“From this cart you will select the base and ingredients needed to brew the potion. It will take no more than forty-five minutes from the time you add the base until the time you add the final ingredient. Now approach the cart row by row and collect what you need to brew,” the wizard said, walking around the desk and sitting down. He noticed Harry and Neville putting their heads together.

“And no talking!” he shouted, making both young wizards jump.

Silently the class collected the ingredients and started brewing, wondering what the prize would be. This was something new for Snape…giving a prize and extra points. Hopefully it was a good prize. Extra points were always appreciated.

After forty-five minutes and several explosions later, the competition was over, Snape inspecting each cauldron and making caustic comments about each as well as the brewer, then he stopped in front of Hermione’s work area. He peered down into the cauldron, then flicked his eyes at Hermione and said nothing as he walked away. Hermione bit her lip. She knew she had done it right.

Snape returned to the front of the class.

“Scourgify your cauldrons, except for Miss Granger. You bottle your brew. It is passable,” he said to her as Hermione smiled brightly, looking at the scowling students on either side of her as she bounced on her toes.

“Yes…yes, you win, Miss Granger. Your penchant for over-achieving has paid off,” Snape said snarkily as he walked to the blackboard, picked up a piece of chalk and scrawled a chapter to be read on the board.

Hermione hurried to the back of the class, collected a bottle and a stopper that fit it, then quickly tapped the cauldron and the neck of the bottle. It filled and she capped it, bringing it to Professor Snape’s desk, setting it down and looking at the wizard expectantly as he read over a parchment. Snape looked up at her with an irritated expression.

“Is there some reason you are staring at me like some type of curly-haired basilisk?” he asked her snarkily.

Hermione reddened.

“I…I just wanted to know what I’ve won,” she said, excitement in her voice.

Snape scowled at her.

“I specifically said the prize would be announced at the end of class, Miss Granger. Perhaps you should brew yourself a bit of wax-away potion to clean out your ears. Now go sit down and read the chapter I assigned you!” he snapped at her.

Hermione went back to her desk and read, looking up at the clock from time to time waiting for class to end. Snape did a bit of marking then looked up at the clock himself.

“Stop reading. Tomorrow there will be a quiz on that chapter, so be prepared…if that’s possible,” he said, “Class dismissed.”

”Wait!” Hermione cried out as the class began to stand up and put their books away, “What did I win, Professor Snape?”

”Ah yes…the prize. You have won thirty points for Gryffindor and a trip into the Forbidden Forest with me tonight to harvest Fluxweed when the full moon rises. Congratulations, Miss Granger.”

The wizard exited the classroom.

Neville looked at Hermione in horror.

“A bit of bad luck there, Hermione,” he said to her, his eyes wide.

The other students murmured in sympathy. Harvesting with Snape? Most would rather be bitten by a dragon.

But Hermione was excited. She had never harvested Fluxweed. It was something new.

“It won’t be so bad,” she said, putting her books in her backpack and slinging it over her shoulder, “I want to learn how to do it. You have to be very, very precise as to when you cut the plant.”

Harry blinked at Hermione, then said, “You know, Hermione…sometimes I think all that knowledge you’ve crammed into your brain has really screwed up your thinking. More than likely Snape will have you doing something horrible, like…like…sprinkling thestral dung around the plants he isn’t harvesting…without gloves.”

“Shut up, Harry,” Hermione said, frowning at him. He would say something to ruin her expectations. Well she was going to make the most of it.

As far as Hermione was concerned, this really was a prize.

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A/N: Another drabble. Ah, Professor Snape…you sneaky devil. Thanks for reading.